Mindfulness and Meditation Training

Dr. Allen teaches basic meditation practices, and helps clients learn the wonderful and healthy skill of mindfulness to use in daily life. This at its core means being present, without judgment or desire, but to simply be present and aware. The goal is to feel content, and heal the conscious moment.

As a way of life, a daily meditation practice, strategies from biofeedback and all of the skills to restore a steady state of mind and body, and mindfulness practiced throughout the day can restore health in a whole new way. Imagine bringing a steady state to daily life, a balance so thoughts can flow like a smooth river. For anxiety conditions, this can add a huge source of healing. For executive functioning issues such as attention deficit with hyperactivity and impulsivity, this can be a way to train the very skills that are needed to be efficient and effective in tasks. This is like training in the gym of the nervous systems and restoring comfort and clarity, and when needed, a quiet mind.

Mindfulness Concepts

To see things and be present, while releasing judgments or abstractions

To be aware of whatever is present in mind and realize you can let go of the attachment to that thought

To be present and aware of the moment without attachment to any reason or outcome

To feel unconditional self-compassion

To be aware of the impermanence of nature

To be aware of the impermanence of thought. Thoughts come and go.

To observe that mental thoughts that are present in the mind are not facts of reality, nor are they static, but that they are dynamic mental events.

To relieve one’s suffering by letting go of attachments

Key words that represent mindfulness (letting go, non-judgment, non-striving, being present, patience, acceptance, trust, beginner’s mind)

Mindfulness is awakened consciousness. It is not a relaxation exercise, but relaxation can result from being mindful.

Do not resist a thought, nor be tempted to follow a thought. Don’t let a thought take you out of the present or transcend to a different mental state.

Don’t simply try to clear the mind of thoughts, but be aware of the thoughts and learn to work with them. You will end up seeing things more clearly and awaken to new solutions. Re-perceive the thoughts, restate them differently rather than changing them.

Let go of attachments to conditioned mental processes

End goal of mindfulness is to truly connect with moment by moment experiences of living